10. Go south, young man

Get off the well-trod Temple Trail of the north, and head south, but bypass Goa, which is becoming way too popular with the beer-guzzling crowd. Aim for an Indian city such as Kanchipuram, which is a couple of hours from Chennai on the east coast, in the state of Tamil Nadu. One of the seven sacred cities of India, it’s home to a thousand ancient temples, some majestic and grand, others the size of your office cubicle, and is also known as Silk City, famous for hand-woven fabrics and saris. A visit here will earn you major street cred with seasoned Indianphiles who seldom get to this place until their second or third visit.